Lions and Badgers
by maidros78
Summary: Harry begins to see that Dumbledore's manipulations have affected a large number of families, not merely him.  Caught between a Light Lord' and a Dark Lord', can he manoeuvre enough to ensure the survival of himself and his friends?  OotP AU, HHannah
1. Prologue

**Lions and Badgers**

(Author's Note: The story, for most part, follows the canon of the first five books, from PS to OotP. The story begins in the timeline of OotP, but follows the canon for all practical purposes until the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. This was the point which turned me off the whole HP series (as anyone who has read my other story will know), so the canon after from this point on is mostly ignored and the story becomes AU. Another point common with my other story is that Harry will be independent and pro-active, while Dumbledore will be a meddlesome, manipulative and unpleasant old coot. If you love Dumbledore, you have been warned. Furthermore, I am a firm believer in the Evil-Overlords list, so if you are looking for a super-Harry (or dumb everyone else) or a super rich Harry (whose personal wealth outstrips the wizarding world economy by several magnitudes), you are going to be disappointed.

The story will follow a Harry/Hannah ship. Why Harry/Hannah? Harry is under terrible pressure and everyone has too many expectations from him, so someone who can offer some unconditional loyalty is what he needs. Hufflepuffs seem to fit the bill perfectly. Secondly, Hannah Abbott seems to have a clear and logical head (she defends Harry in CoS), at least decent magical ability (she is the Hufflepuff prefect, after all) and she is one of the few Hufflepuffs about whom we actually know something from canon. Writing a Harry/Daphne, or a Harry/Tracey, or Harry/Megan is like writing a Harry/OC with the canon name, since we know almost nothing of them. Come to think of it, we know more about Hannah than any girl in Hufflepuff, including Susan Bones, with whom there are quite a few romances.

Lastly, I believe in the profound comment made by Rafael Sabatini, who said 'The future is to be read with certainty only in the past.' Past events invariably cast their shadow on the present and the future – this is a theme I will be exploring. Further, the Death Eaters are too much of caricatures in canon. Are all of them just pureblood bigots? Is there no one else with a different agenda who might support the Dark Lord?

All criticism is welcome.)

**Prologue**

**July 23, 1980**

Three men sat quietly in an old country house in Lancashire, sipping tea. Or it would be more accurate to say that there were two young men and a boy in his late teens.

"We must be mad to even be thinking of this", muttered the soft voiced, and blond haired Sempronius MacDougal, voicing aloud the thoughts that were passing in the minds of his two companions.

His companion, Evan Rosier, a tall and thin man with a gloomy, ascetic face, smiled a cold, tight smile, "Relax, Semp. We have some excellent bargaining counters. I doubt old Barty would pass up such an opportunity to all but end the war." His lips twisted cynically as he continued, "Think of the boost it would bring his career – he would be the shoo-in candidate for Minister." His words were true and reassuring, but it seemed that Rosier was speaking more to convince himself, rather than anyone else. The shadow of the Dark Lord loomed over the wizarding world, and the actions the three were contemplating were treason of the sort which the Dark Lord never forgave.

"Let us hope so", murmured the tall, nervous, and dark haired Regulus Black,

Evan Rosier leant back in his chair and studied his two companions. It amused him that the three of them were all committing treason against the Dark Lord for entirely different reasons – but then, they had joined him for entirely different reasons. At first sight, there seemed no perceptible difference between the three young aristocrats – all of them were from old, rich and powerful pureblood families, and all of them had the natural arrogance of their class. But the similarities ended there – they had very different outlooks, and they had ended up on the same side only via an alliance of convenience.

MacDougal had joined the Dark Lord because he had a grouse against the Ministry placing severe strictures against the giants. While the Ministry's bigotry against the giants outraged him genuinely at some level, what angered him even worse was the disruption of commerce with the giants – something on which the MacDougals thrived – and the consequent depletion of the MacDougal family coffers.

There was Regulus, striving to be a good son' – which, in essence meant that he was expected to be snobbish, look down on muggle-borns and half bloods, and in short, protect the interests of the old ultra-conservative aristocratic families, both inside the Ministry and outside. However, Regulus had no stomach for the atrocities, and he had seen the boy petrified with horror at the things he had witnessed, and at times, even been forced to commit.

Finally, there was Rosier himself. He had never had any illusions about the Dark Lord. He had joined the man only because of one thing – power. Rosier worshipped nothing but power, and there was power in the Dark Lord's wake. However, now after a decade of insurrection, the winds of war were slowly, but surely shifting against the Dark side. Most of the Dark Lord's followers had not seen it yet, but Rosier was no fool. The ruthless drive and purges of Crouch were yielding results and the Ministry was once more becoming an effective fighting force. Just as important, the Order of the Phoenix, which in the older days was completely irrelevant, was now a force to be reckoned with. Infused with newer and younger members, the Order of the Phoenix could field a bunch of motivated, disciplined and hardy fighters – the group had inflicted some serious casualties on the Dark side, which was now beginning to suffer from war-weariness and lowered morale. So Rosier was doing the only thing possible – he would sell out the Dark Lord and his followers if he could purchase his own pardon, and a few favours along with it. It was better to take care of number one' rather than follow a megalomaniac to the bitter end.

The door of the drawing room opened, and a small house elf appeared, "Mr. Crouch, and Mr. Moody is here, Master Rosier."

"Thank you, Liddi. Will you show them in?"

A moment later, the two men had appeared in the dimly lit drawing room. The first was a dark haired and impeccably dressed man, with hard black eyes, while the second was a badly scarred one with a growling voice.

"Good evening, Mr. Crouch, Mr. Moody. Pray be seated", began Rosier in his soft and suave voice, waving his two visitors towards the sofa. "May I ..."

"Cut the drivel, Rosier", growled Moody. "Let's hear your offer."

Rosier sighed theatrically, "People these days – no sense of etiquette."

Crouch cut in his cold, clear voice, "Excuse me, Lord Rosier, but we are here on business. It were imprudent to waste time on trivialities."

"Very well", smiled Rosier. "My offer is simply this – I can help your faction win in the next six months."

"Most generous", muttered Moody. "I hear it six times a day from captured Death Eaters."

"Doubtless. But, really, for all their boasts, have any of the Death Eaters been able to compromise more than a few others of their ranks? Yes, you have certainly got a few small fry, the occasional Karkaroff and even Antonin Dolohov. But have you had a single conviction of a high ranking pureblood? Or a high level Ministry official?"

"How do you propose to provide us with those", queried Crouch, distrust and disgust written on all his features.

"Simple, gentlemen. My colleagues here and I have the perfect plan to change the course of the war. Your three main opponents are the pureblood aristocrats, the giants and the Dark Lord himself. Now, I can provide you with means to find and enter all of the Dark Lord's safe houses in this country; my friend, Lord MacDougal, can persuade the giants to leave the enemy, while Regulus Black can provide you with enough knowledge about how to destroy the Dark Lord himself. Besides, the exit of three of the most ancient and noble pureblood families from the Dark Lord's cause should give you enough propaganda material."

"Most gracious", sneered Moody. "You aren't doing this for love and kisses, are you?"

Rosier rolled his eyes, "Of course not! Whatever our sense of civic duty, we cannot be expected to run such a high risk without some – shall we say – favours?"

"What do you want in return, Rosier?"

"For myself, I will want a full pardon for all alleged crimes committed in the Dark Lord's service. Secondly, I will need a certain sum of money – still open to negotiations – to be placed in a vault in Gringotts. Finally, if this works out, you will be the Minister of Magic. I will want my nominee to have the position of either Adjudicator or Inquisitor in the Wizengamot ."

"Preposterous! It is unacceptable!"

"Is it so preposterous, Mr. Crouch? You are spending a half a million galleons a year on your raids, and each year's salaries, pensions, and disability allowances amount to nearly twice as much. You will have saved more than ten times what you offer me."

"How on earth do you expect me to help you in the Wizengamot?"

"Oh, come off it, Crouch! If you win the war, you will have all those old goats eating out of your hands. You could easily have your way in Wizengamot appointments."

Crouch appeared deep in thought. Finally, he spoke, "You, sir, how do you know about all the safe houses of the Dark Lord?"

"I am the Dark Lord's top ward-setter, Mr. Crouch. I was commissioned to choose a number of safe places in the country and ward them against all manner of intrusion, which I have done. I can provide you with the list of those places, along with the wards that are on each place. In a coordinated and organised raid on all of these places simultaneously, you should be able to pick up the bulk of the Death Eaters in one fell swoop."

"And you two?", asked Crouch turning to MacDougal and Black.

MacDougal answered, "I want a full amnesty for all crimes in the service of the Dark Lord. Further, I want the restrictions on the giants to be rescinded, and the Giant-Law prior to 1967 reinstated. If you can do this, I will vouch for the neutrality of the giants for the rest of the war."

"People hate the giants, Lord MacDougal!"

"So? Would you rather lose another thousand wizards to their raids? Also, they are weary of taking casualties in this war and are seething against the Dark Lord now. Offer them peace, and you can get it without losing a knut from the Ministry coffers."

Regulus finally spoke, "I want a full pardon for myself, my cousin Bellatrix and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange. The current campaign to disenfranchise my family in the Wizengamot and the High Council should be aborted. In return, I can offer you knowledge of how to destroy the Dark Lord."

Moody cut in, "Let us take the last one first, laddie. How in thunder can you know how to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

Regulus returned, "The Dark Lord has made a number of horcruxes." At his words, there was a horrified look on both Crouch's and Moody's faces – making one was extremely draining and tough. How the hell had the madman made multiple horcruxes? Regulus continued, seeing that his audience understood what he was talking about, "You cannot kill him while these horcruxes remain. I know some of the objects which are horcruxes."

"Some!!! How many has he made?", ejaculated Moody.

Regulus smiled bitterly, "At least three. Possibly more. I can give you the location of the three horcruxes."

Crouch paced around, head sunk on chest, without speaking for a few minutes. Finally, he raised his head and spoke. "I can't answer you right away since some of your demands are beyond my power to concede. I'll speak with the Minister tomorrow morning and then let you know."

"How long will your consultations take?"

"No more than three days."

Rosier returned, "Very well. I'll be here in three days. Same time. We will discuss this further then."

The two visitors bade goodbye to their hosts and disapparated.

---(Scene Break)---

**Evening of 23rd July, Hogwarts**

Three very agitated men were gathered in the headmaster's office in Hogwarts. Alastor Moody was reporting to Dumbledore what he and Crouch had heard.

"Alastor, are you certain that this offer is genuine?", questioned a very serious Dumbledore.

"Would old Tom let anyone know he had multiple horcruxes, Albus?", retorted Moody.

"No, that is true. If so, we must stop this information from reaching Millicent Bagnold's ears – this could ruin everything. Severus, return immediately to Tom and tell him that Rosier, Black and MacDougal have betrayed him. Tom should be able to take care of both MacDougal and Black. Rosier is a very different matter, though – he is a very secretive man. When are you to meet Rosier again, Alastor?"

"He told us to meet him in three days in his country house."

"Good. Alastor, when you return to Rosier, you will attend to the problem." Moody nodded and asked, "And Crouch?".

"I will meet with him tonight. He will – have a lapse of memory – about the meeting with Millicent Bagnold."

A few days later, both MacDougal and Regulus Black had been hunted down by the Death Eaters and tortured to death. Rosier had been killed while resisting aurors, and Moody got a medal for his bravery in bringing a terrible Death Eater to justice.

---(End of the Chapter)---

(Author's Note: I know many of you are probably wondering about the motivations of Dumbledore. Well, let me just say – he is not on the side of Voldemort. He is just on his own side and he has very good reasons to do what he did.)


	2. End of the Year

**Lions And Badgers – 1**

(Author's Note: I mentioned before that the story would begin with the OotP timeline, being AU to OotP. For all practical purposes, it is going to begin with the OotP timeline, but the actual date of beginning is in the last days of school in the GoF year. It gives me much more leeway to start a plausible ship if I start with the GoF year, and give myself the summer of the OotP year to work with.

The story starts with Harry being released from the Hospital Wing after the return of Voldemort and the exposure of young Crouch. However, no one in the school apart from those who were present in the hospital wing with Fudge, Hagrid and Maxime know of Voldemort's return.

As usual, all criticism is welcome.)

---(Beginning ot the Chapter)---

**End of the Year**

Harry had scarcely left the hospital wing, when he heard the noise of flapping wings and rustling feathers. Looking up, he saw Hedwig, his pet owl, as it flew up to him and landed on the sill of the window in the hallway leading to the Gryffindor tower. Attached to her leg was a small package, and a note, which read

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope you are feeling better now. Here is the pensieve of James I spoke of – it was in your family vault and I was able to get it out without any trouble. The instructions on how to use the pensieve are enclosed along with the package._

_Don't blame yourself for the death of Diggory – it was not your fault and there was nothing you could have done to save him. You showed supreme courage and Remus and I are both proud of you. Lily and James would have been proud of you as well. _

_I am hidden again safely, so don't worry about me. Remus asks me to convey you his love in addition to mine when I write to you. Let me know if you need anything. I will keep in touch._

_Snuffles._

Harry smiled for the first time in days. Sirius always knew how to make him feel better and had come good and performed as he had promised. There were several reasons why Harry wanted his pensieve. Firstly, there was a great deal that was worrying him about the return of Voldemort and the death of Crouch, and Harry wanted to examine his memories carefully – if possible, with the assistance of his friends. Secondly, the reaction of Fudge had worried Harry. He knew how little credibility his own word would have and he wanted to tilt the table in his favour a little. He had a plan to that effect, and for that he required a pensieve. Consequently, he had asked Sirius for help. Before Sirius left him in the hospital wing, he had spoken to his godfather about the possibility of getting hold of a pensieve. Sirius had remembered that the Potter family had a pensieve and had offered to retrieve it for Harry.

Having finished reading the letter and unpacking the said pensieve, Harry quickly snatched up his quill and a piece of parchment, and wrote a thanking note, promising to keep in touch once he reached the Dursleys. That bit of business accomplished, Harry made his way to the Gryffindor tower. However, the password had been changed the previous day, and no one had seen fit to tell him the new password. So he was stuck outside the portrait of the Fat Lady until someone came to let him in. He sat down on the floor by the portrait and fell into a reverie – playing all the events of that dreadful night in his mind for the first time since Dumbledore had made him relive the occurrences. How could everything have gone so hopelessly wrong? How could young Crouch have managed to deceive everyone for an entire year? Moody was Dumbledore's very close friend, but Crouch had managed to fool the old Headmaster as well. McGonagall, Snape, and so many others had known Moody well, but it was really strange that none of them had caught on to the impostor until the return of Voldemort. How could Dumbledore be so gullible as to not notice a man under _polyjuice _for an year? This brought him to the next object of his mental ruminations – the fate of Barty Crouch. Harry pursed his lips – both the questioning of Barty Crouch and his subsequent fate left many unanswered questions. Dumbledore had questioned the impostor about most of the things that were relevant to the present, but more interesting was what he had not questioned young Crouch about? Why had Dumbledore not bothered with interrogating young Crouch about the past, especially one vital point? Was it mere coincidence that there happened to be a dementor around for Fudge, and that that dementor had coincidentally managed to de-soul Crouch? Resolving to satisfy his curiosity about Crouch to some extent, he made his way to Prof. McGonagall's chambers.

He rapped on Prof. McGonagall's door a few minutes later. "Enter", came the stern, clipped tones of the transfiguration professor.

Harry entered, and Prof. McGonagall, seeing that it was Harry, almost smiled, and her voice was softer than he had ever heard, "Well, Potter, are you feeling better now?"

Harry nodded, "Yes, thank you, Professor."

"So how can I help you?"

"I wanted to ask you a couple of favours, madam."

Prof. McGonagall's eyebrows went up at that, "What is it, Potter?"

"You remember the dementor Mr. Fudge brought? I just wanted to know how it got around attacking Crouch?"

McGonagall's face furrowed. "Why do you want to know that, Potter?"

"It is really very important, Professor. Can you please let me know how it occurred?"

Harry drew the pensieve from his robes, "In fact, it would be ideal if you could show me your memory of the incident."

McGonagall was really surprised at that, but refrained from questioning him where he had acquired his pensieve. She drew her wand and placed it to her temple, drawing a long silvery strand from it. She placed it in the pensieve and nodded to Harry. "Once you are finished viewing the memory, Potter, I want you to return the memory."

Harry acquiesced, "Thanks, Professor. That'll be very helpful. But I'd like to ask you another favour."

"Name it, Potter."

"I wanted to read up the trials of the Death Eaters during the last war against Voldemort. Hermione found a large stack of those reports in the library. I wanted your permission to let Hermione and me make two copies of them and take them over summer."

"Why do you want to study the past, Potter?"

"You remember the Minister mentioning the Death Eater trials, when I accused some highly placed people of being Death Eaters?"

Prof. McGonagall nodded. "I wanted to see what exactly they were accused of. You see – Voldemort made some remarks which lead me to wonder if all Death Eaters are equal ..."

"What on earth are you speaking of, Potter?"

Harry narrated in brief the remarks of Voldemort after his resurrection and his displeasure with some Death Eaters like Avery, Nott, Crabbe and Goyle. He finished, "You see, Madam, I am not sure if all of them are happy with Voldemort's return."

"And what do you propose to do if you find out some are not happy with his return?"

"For now, nothing. But it could be of use later on."

Minerva thought for a moment, and then nodded. She walked to her desk, and sitting down at her table wrote a short note to Mme. Pince asking her to help Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in their quest to find material about the Death Eaters.

Harry nodded, thanked Prof. McGonagall and left her office.

---(Scene Break)---

Once, Harry was in his dormitory, he drew the pensieve from his robes and placed it on the table. Next, he bent down to examine it and sank into the memory.

"_Severus, where is the prisoner?", came the pompous voice of Cornelius Fudge._

_Minerva felt an intense cold wash over her as she poked her head outside the door of Moody's office. A dementor! How on earth had one managed to get inside the Castle? However, she clamped down heavily on her feelings and spoke, "Over here, Minister."_

_Fudge trotted into the room, followed by the dementor and then Snape. "Minerva, might I trouble to get Albus here? We will need him for the questioning of this man." The Minister nodded down to the bound man on the floor. McGonagall hesitated – Dumbledore had ordered her to stand guard on Crouch. She rebuked Fudge, "Minister, this is a school with plenty of children. Why have you brought the dementor into the Castle?"_

"_Really, Minerva – he is a dangerous prisoner. The dementor will merely stay for our protection and poses no harm to children. Please do get Dumbledore here – there is a lot to clear up in this business." Once more, McGonagall looked irresolute._

"_Go on, Prof. McGonagall. I will be here with the Minister", spoke up Snape._

_Minerva nodded, and then left the office. Scarcely had she taken a few score paces when she heard an inarticulate and horrified cry, accompanied by a hoarse rattling noise. Turning swiftly on her heel, she raced back down the corridor and back into the room she had just left. It was a strange sight she beheld – Fudge and Snape were standing in a corner of the dimly lit office, looking on indifferently at the predicament of Barty Crouch. The dementor which the Minister had brought with him had swooped down on Crouch and was kneeling, its mouth clamped down on the prisoner's, even as his struggles were subsiding and his eyes were blank and unfocussed. "Expecto Patronum", cried McGonagall. A silver cougar shot from her wand, charging towards the dementor, which turned away and glided away from the snarling big cat. Ignoring the cries of both Snape and Fudge, she knelt down in front of Crouch, turning his eyes towards the light. It only served to confirm what she had just suspected – she had been too late, and the dementor had sucked out the soul of young Crouch. _

"_You fool!", snarled Minerva, turning towards Fudge. "Why did you bring that dementor in here?"_

"_I just wanted ... some protection", spluttered Fudge incoherently. "In case the prisoner was violent .."_

"_How do you account for the fact that your dementor sucked out the soul of this man in your presence?" Professor McGonagall was quivering with fury. _

_Fudge puffed himself up, "I really see no reason why I should answer that. He was an escaped prisoner from the Azkaban. He deserved the Kiss."_

_Minerva looked dumbfounded at the appalling piece of stupidity. She rounded on Severus, "What were you doing all the time, Severus?"_

"_I am afraid it took me by surprise", returned Snape. "I did not expect that."_

_McGonagall surveyed both the men with tight-lipped fury. Her voice dripped sarcasm, "Since you have both settled the problem of questioning Crouch, I think it better if you two were to accompany me in looking for Dumbledore."_

Harry emerged from viewing the memory and pursed his lips. He thought grimly, Well, that was very interesting'. However, outwardly, he gave no indication of his thoughts. He thanked Professor McGonagall for the memory and returned it to her.

---(Scene Break)---

It was the day before the Leaving Feast that Harry finally managed to work out how to use the pensieve properly. While his task was neither simple, nor pleasant, it was nevertheless important and Harry had found a new resolve in Cedric's death. He had vowed that he would find a way to fight Voldemort, had sworn that he would destroy the evil for all time to come, no matter what the cost. However, Harry was no fool – he had realised the miracle by which he had escaped and that there was no way that trick would work a second time. Voldemort would realise what had happened and would be prepared for it. He, Harry, needed time, and knowledge to prepare and even stand a chance against the Dark Lord. It seemed that no one could supply the former and no adult would the latter. Consequently, the only ones he could rely on were his own small circle of friends. Harry's lips tightened – his 'circle' of friends was too small and it was the smallness of the circle that he was now keen on remedying. Harry had planned this meeting carefully. He needed to convince people of the seriousness of the situation, and he needed people he could rely on. He was investing much in this meeting, and he was keen on making the most out of his chances.

That evening, as arranged, all those Harry had invited gatheree and Harry surveyed the six people – the champions of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were in attendance, as were Cho Chang, and Hannah Abbott. Harry's two inseparable friends had gathered also beside him. All the six had assembled in the Transfiguration classroom – this was another little perk he had managed to obtain from McGonagall. His Head of House had really come through for him – overdoing herself giving him some use of the various facilities of Hogwarts.

He smiled at the assembled, "Thank you all for coming here tonight. There're many things we need to talk about, but first I must apologise for Cedric's fate. I know you've all been wondering what happened to Cedric once we entered the maze. I am sorry I didn't tell you before – besides, it would be insufficient to merely _tell_ you six what happened. Therefore, I've placed my memory of what happened from the moment we entered the maze in this pensieve and I'm going to play the memory for you all."

"But why invite us, Harry", queried Cho. "Your memories are private – it's not what we should be intruding on."

"You were Cedric's girlfriend." Harry's insides squirmed as he spoke the words. He mastered himself, before continuing, "You've got a right to know."

Harry continued, "Cedric was the real champion of Hogwarts, but he was even more so the Champion of Hufflepuff. If anyone deserves know what happened to Cedric, it is the Hufflepuffs."

"But why me, Harry?", questioned the blonde Hannah Abbott. "There are others who were nearer and dearer to Cedric ..."

"You are easily the most unbiased of the Hufflepuffs. I remember you defending me two years ago when everyone thought me the Heir of Slytherin", returned Harry with a smile. Hannah blushed, as Harry continued seriously, "But Hannah – what happened was ... disturbing, to say the least. If you don't wish to see ..."

"No!", cut in Hannah harshly. "I'll watch."

"Fleur, Viktor – you're both the champions of your respective schools. As competitors, you should know the details", added Harry turning to the Beauxbatons and the Durmstrang champions. They nodded in assent. Finally, Harry turned towards his two friends, "Hermione, Ron – I'm really sorry about keeping you two in the dark about this.", he muttered. "I was not ready to think of the night ..."

Hermione put her arm round Harry's shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, Harry. We understand", she whispered.

Harry nodded, looked round at the gathered set of people and seeing their consent to view his memory, cast the spell.

They sextet saw Harry entering the maze, him making his way past the obstacles, saving Cedric from the _imperioused_ Krum, answering the Sphinx, subduing the spider with Cedric's help, and finally the argument with Cedric about the cup. They watched in horror as the cup turned out to be a _portkey _carrying both the Hogwarts champions into a graveyard, heard a high cold voice ordering the death of Cedric Diggory. Transfixed to their chairs, they numbly beheld the death of Cedric, watched a strange man tie up Harry and perform a dark and ghastly ritual to resurrect Voldemort. They noted the return of the Death Eaters, Harry's duel with the Dark Lord, and finally his return to Hogwarts with Cedric's body in tow. The memory stopped at this point. There was a long, eerie silence once the memory had finished playing, and Cho, Fleur, Hannah and Hermione were all looking at Harry with awe-struck gazes. Hermione reacted first - she pulled Harry into a fierce hug, whispering in Harry's ear "Oh, Harry!". Harry just held Hermione close as the pregnant silence continued. Her eyes filled with unshed tears, Cho broke the silence in her quiet voice, "Thank you, Harry, for returning Cedric."

Harry nodded dumbly. Hannah spoke next, her soft tones clearly audible , "Harry, you've just shown loyalty and fairplay any Hufflepuff would be proud of. I'll do all I can to make sure my House doesn't blame you for Cedric. Thank you so much for returning Cedric back to us."

Harry flushed scarlet, as Krum and Fleur added their congratulations at his survival and victory. Harry continued, "It was Cedric who died, but it could've just as easily been any of us. Voldemort has returned, and now we are at war, whether Fudge likes it or not."

"What do you mean, 'Arry?", inquired Fleur.

Harry narrated briefly Fudge's reaction to Dumbledore's insistence of Voldemort's return, and the death of Barty Crouch, precluding any corroboration of the fact.

Hannah voiced the thought passing in the minds of everyone, "You mean just because it is inconvenient to the Minister to admit You-Know-Who's returnn, we are going to sit back and watch him destroy us one by one?"

"It's hard to know what we can do", returned Ron.

Harry cut in, "We might not be able to do a lot for now, but there're some things Hermione and I've thought of. We'd like your help in it, but there's no pretending that it'll not be dangerous."

Hannah and Cho immediately promised to do everything they could to help fight Voldemort – after all both the girls had very personal reasons for hating Voldemort. Fleur and Viktor were returning to their countries soon, but they also promised to do what they could to help. There was no need to ask Hermione and Ron – the two Gryffindors would never abandon Harry, no matter what, and they confirmed as much. Harry smiled for the first time since the fateful night that had caused Cedric's death. "Well, as I said, there are a few things we can do."

---(End of Chapter)---


	3. Summer Plans and Dark Marks

**Lions and Badgers – 2**

(Author's Note: What would it have been if, after Fudge's reluctance to admit the return of the Dark Lord, the Dark Mark had been seen in Britain? Would it have caused a panic? Would it force the Ministry to take notice? How would Voldemort react?

As usual, all criticism is welcome.)

**Summer Plans and Dark Marks**

As Fleur and Viktor left promising to warn their own classmates of the return of Voldemort and persuade as many people as possible of the imminence of the danger posed by the resurrected Dark Lord, Harry looked round at his four colleagues, "As I said, there are a few things we can do. First and foremost is to persuade our House mates of the return of Voldemort." All the others had flinched at the name, but Harry continued undaunted, "Hannah, Cho – do you think anyone in your Houses will really believe that Voldemort is back?

Hannah looked thoughtful as she answered carefully, "Well – the problem is Cedric's death. He was one of the really popular 'Puffs. Many'll probably believe that we're hallucinating, but some'll blame you for Cedric's death. No matter what you or I say – even the memory you just showed us will likely be insufficient. Harry, d'you think Dumbledore will announce You-Know-Who's return?"

Harry had wondered the same thing. "I honestly don't know. He might."

"If he does, we'll have some more credibility. But most people will not believe. I can think of maybe half a dozen people who'll believe what you've shown us."

"But you've seen my memories", countered Harry.

"Memories can be tampered with, Harry", returned Cho.

"I didn't fake ...", began Harry angrily.

"I'm not saying you did", burst in Cho, hurriedly. "I'm just pointing out a possibility."

"So you don't believe me?"

"Harry – please! I believe you and I am sure what you showed us is the truth. But what I believe is not going to change what others think."

Harry considered her words for a long moment, before turning to Hannah and continuing, "Well, try to convince who you can, but please – don't make yourself a pariah. Last thing we want is you unable to talk to other 'Puffs. Voldemort is going to start killing again soon, so we'll want you able to communicate when we've got more proof."

Hannah nodded, as Cho began, "Well, Harry, in Ravenclaw, the House is going to be split really. Even if You-Know-Who's back, not many will care. Ravenclaw has always been a neutral House in general. However, your word will carry more credence than Dumbledore's. Dumbledore has never been popular in Ravenclaw – you've at least never lied. I'll speak to a few people whom I should be able to persuade."

"Why's Dumbledore unpopular in Ravenclaw", inquired Hermione curiously.

"Many remember his actions in the last war", shrugged Cho. "Besides, like I said, Ravenclaws are not politically active. Not many care about the war, and even fewer appreciate Dumbledore's efforts to recruit them in what is essentially his fight against You-Know-Who. Most'll try to keep out of the mess."

"Voldemort's a threat to everyone", snarled Harry.

"Harry – I agree with you, but many of my House mates won't. The problem is – You-Know-Who never attacked neutral purebloods – or even neutral halfbloods in the last war. Many think keeping their heads down will save them."

"It won't", growled Harry.

Cho shrugged helplessly, as Harry continued, "But will they believe his return?", questioned Harry.

"Some will, some won't, but most won't really care – especially non-muggleborns who're not threatened directly by You-Know-Who will ignore it."

Harry opened his mouth to retort angrily, but Hermione cut in diplomatically. "Harry, you were telling us what we can do over summer."

Harry shut his mouth with an effort with an audible click and a visible effort. For a moment he strove with his anger getting it under control, before nodding at Hermione with a grateful smile, "Yes. Thanks, Hermione." He continued, facing others, "As for what we can do other than get people to realise Voldemort's back – well, you listened to what Voldemort said to the Death Eaters when he returned. Did any of you find some of it ... interesting and peculiar?"

"What're you talking about, Harry", asked Ron.

"The part where he spoke to Avery, Nott, Crabbe and Goyle. He seemed ... displeased with them. Do any of you know why?"

There was dead silence at the question. None of them had any answer to it, as Harry proceeded, "Hermione and I've been working on it. We got hold of a ton of reports of old Death Eater trials. We thought we could study them to get an idea of what Voldemort's organisational structure's like." Here Harry evidently thought it prudent not to mention that he had some vague plans – no hopes, he reminded himself truthfully – for what he could do with that information in future. "Moreover, we know nothing really much about the previous war. We need to know whom Voldemort was able to get on his side."

"That's not a mystery", growled Ron. "He got gits like Lucius Malfoy – those who think being pureblood's everything."

"He got them, yes, Ron, but he got a lot of others on his side as well. People like Wormtail also", answered Harry grimly. "We need to know about his group before we know what we can do. Do any of you know anything about Voldemort's power structure?"

Again, there was complete silence at this question, as Harry nodded quietly to himself. "So, as I said, we need to find out more about the Death Eaters and that's what we're going to do over summer. At least, Hermione and I are going to do that. We'd appreciate your help, if you're willing."

Both Hannah and Cho consented to help gladly, as Harry proceeded, "I just wish we had access to Ministry's records, but I'm currently out of favour with the Ministry and I doubt anyone'll help me", he sighed.

"I can check the records in the Ministry, Harry", offered Cho. "My mum knows a few people there – she's worked with them in the past. I should be able to get hold of them without trouble."

"I'll come and help, if you like, Cho.", cut in Hannah.

"That'll be great, Cho, if you and Hannah can manage. Thank you so much", answered Harry with genuine gratitude in his eyes.

Cho nodded as Harry signed to Hermione to begin. Hermione opened her schoolbag, and took out three small stacks of parchments. With a tap of her wand, she enlarged the shrunken stacks and handed them to Ron, Hannah and Cho, explaining that they were reports of Death Eater trials. Harry continued explaining, "Hannah, Cho, Ron – Hermione and I are going to go over the details of the crimes they were accused of and see if we can spot anything worthwhile. We'd like you all to go over them – if you've got time and are interested that is. If you find anything suspicious – like innocents getting convicted, or Death Eaters going free, or motives being strange - let's know."

"Will it cover all suspected Death Eaters, Harry?", asked Hannah.

"Of course not! Plenty of people were chucked into Azkaban without trials, from what I've heard. It's those records that're probably only in the Ministry. If Cho can even find out who has been flung into prison without trial and what they were accused of, we'll have an idea of what to look for. Now we're just looking for the general idea of what Voldemort's methods were like, and who was involved in what."

"Well", Cho began tremulously. "There is an enormous lot of material to look in. Shouldn't we divide this work?"

"An excellent idea, Cho", smiled Hermione. "How about we all begin on some cases – I've made some notes about what trials I think are important. Cho – you and Hannah can look through the Ministry records for those cases. Harry, and I'll go through this material. Ron – I have made a list of the Death Eaters we know of. I want you to check with your parents and brothers and find out what you can about them." Hermione handed Ron another stack of parchments, as she continued, "This is what I've been able to find about their public Hogwarts records. Check if you find anything interesting in them." She turned to the others, "We can all exchange summaries and views of what we've found. Send us owls when you find anything interesting."

Hannah and Cho agreed to do as they were bidden. Harry thanked the two girls for their help, and all of them said their good-byes and disappeared back to their Houses.

---(Scene Break)---

The Leaving Feast was a painful and embarrassing occasion for Harry as Dumbledore announced the return of Voldemort and honoured Harry for his bravery in returning Cedric's body back to school. After that, they all packed and left Hogwarts, and the ride back to King's Cross was uneventful except for a brief scrape with Draco Malfoy which had left the stuck up pureblood hexed into something more at home in a Botany textbook than a human being.

As they all landed at King's Cross, Uncle Vernon had come to pick him up. Two days after Harry had returned to the Dursleys, who were their usual selves, hating Harry up to a point, but not actually daring to punish him – not physically, anyway, Harry was getting used to the dull routine of the daily existence at the Dursleys. Oh – he got a lot of chores to do, from cooking, and cleaning to painting the house and maintaining the garden. Harry was grateful to the muggle government for the hose pipe ban, or he would have spent even more time doing slaving for the Dursleys. However, considering the current environment he was in, Harry did not mind either the chores or the Dursleys too much. He had plenty to do and between doing his homework and reading the material he had got about the Death Eaters. He also got the _Daily Prophet_ and went through it carefully to spot any traces of Voldemort, but the Dark Lord was keeping quiet for some reason of his own. Harry surmised that it was because his plans were not mature yet – Voldemort was preparing in secret, and with the Ministry in denial, he was being aided in his efforts. Bitterly Harry reflected that Voldemort would probably announce his return with a blast, and the Ministry would find it was too late to counter him.

It was on the third day of Harry's holidays that things began to go wrong. Harry was no stranger to nightmares, and but they usually consisted of memories of Cedric or his parents, or visions of other friends dying. On the contrary, it was a most unusual dream even by his standards.

It was the grey of the dawn as Harry watched from above a tall and thin man rapping at the door of a house politely. "Enter", came a high, sibilant hiss from inside.

As the tall man entered and fell to his knees, bowing submissively, the snake-like voice continued, "Rise, Andronicus. What brings you here today?"

"My Lord, I am the bearer of some unexpected news", replied the man rising from his position on the ground.

"And what is it?"

"The Dark Mark was seen in two places yesterday afternoon, my Lord."

Whatever it was that Voldemort expected, it was not that. His surprise was evident in his voice as he queried, "Go on. What about the Marks?"

"The Marks were found at the site of the disappearance of two mudbloods, my Lord."

"Two separate places, Andronicus?"

"Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort's surprise had given way to fury, as he snarled, "Which fool of my over-zealous followers was responsible for this? I thought I had made my wishes quite clear in regard to attacks."

"It is unknown, my Lord."

"We shall soon find the idiot who was responsible for this", murmured Voldemort in a cruel whisper. Rising to his feet, he touched the Dark Mark on 'Andronicus's' forearm, and a terrible pain shot out of Harry's scar on his forehead. Harry screamed as the Dark Mark burned, and was ejected rudely from his dream. He had awoken with a frantic cry, and grabbed his scar, which was burning furiously. Harry lay back on his bed, trying to calm himself – he was breathing hard, and the dream had seriously shaken him. His first instinct was to write to Sirius and Dumbledore about his dream, but on reflection he recollected that the Dark Mark had actually been seen. If the Dark Mark had been seen, it would likely be in the day's _Prophet. _Harry decided to wait for the full news before he started sending any letters to anyone.

Nor was Harry's anticipation regarding the Dark Mark unjustified – the reasons for Harry's dream soon became apparent with the arrival of the _Daily Prophet_. Harry grabbed the newspaper and opened his copy quickly,when the headlines struck a sudden chill to his heart.

**Dark Mark spotted again! Two girls disappear!**

_Old terror revisited the Wizarding World yesterday afternoon, as the Dark Mark, which has rarely been seen since the demise of You-Know-Who, was found hovering over the residences of two muggle-born witches yesterday. At 1445, the Ministry detected magic – a couple of **cutting curses, a shield charm**, and a **stunner **at the home of muggle-born witch, Hermione Granger, in the University town of Oxford. The first reaction of the Improper Use of Magic office was that the spells had been cast by the underage witch herself. However, the Dark Mark was found hovering over the Granger home a few minutes later, and was reported to the Ministry by person or persons who have not been named. The Aurors hurrying to the Granger residence found evidences of a struggle, in the form of a broken door and upturned furniture. However, the muggle-born witch, a student starting her fifth year at Hogwarts, herself was nowhere to be found and has been listed as 'missing'. Dr. Daniel Granger and his wife, Dr. Emily Granger, who were at work at the time of the attack, have reported that their daughter had no enemies as far as they know and they cannot account for the assault on the teenage girl. _

_Roughly an hour later, two **stunners **were reported at the residence of another muggle-born witch, Ms. Hannah Abbott, another student starting her fifth year in Hogwarts, in the southern town of Dover. The Aurors hurried to the place, found the Dark Mark over the place, but again no trace of the muggle-born witch in question, although some unspecified evidences of a struggle were likewise detected. Mr. Peter Abbott and his wife Sophie were also at work when the attack on their daughter occurred. Mr. Abbott, a manager in a muggle-bank, is similarly unable to account for the attack on his daughter._

_Ministry sources have pointed out that in both cases, **stunners** have been used, and the lack of any evidence of injuries indicate that the witches are likely alive, although their condition and whereabouts are unknown. Ministry officials have claimed that they have found some clues and are on the track of the culprits, and have promised us that everything that can be done is being done. They also requested the public to be calm and assure us that they have the situation well in control . _

_When questioned about the Dark Mark, the spokesman of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement said that the Dark Marks are blinds intended to hoodwink the authorities into believing that You-Know-Who is involved. 'We at the Ministry can assure the public that You-Know-Who is dead and gone, and there is no truth in the rumour that he is back. The present crimes have nothing to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'._

_Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, however ascribed the crime to the followers of You-Know-Who, and claimed that the dreaded wizard is back. Ministry officials however, have pooh-poohed the Headmaster's claims._

_The complete failure of the Ministry in protecting underage witches is despicable and it is likely that the other muggle-borns will think twice before entering our world, which has proved unequal to the task of providing them the basic right of safety of their persons. We at the Daily Prophet hope that the two girls are safe and join the readers in expressing the heartfelt wish that they are returned safe and unharmed. In the meantime, we wish the families the fortitude in their affliction._

Harry's mind had gone blank, and the paper dropped from his nerveless fingers. His first reaction was one of complete shock. Nothing could have prepared him for this, and he collapsed heavily into his chair.

Recovering from his shock, Harry swore an oath that the Death Eaters would pay for this – but before he could do anything, he needed more information. Was he responsible for these disappearances as well? Was it because they had agreed to help him that they had been attacked? Grief and self-reproach wracked his soul, as in hindsight he realised how dangerous the probe into the Death Eaters had been. Harry resolved to do all he could to set this matter right. He thought for a moment and decided that the first thing to do was to go and check the residences of the two witches. For that, he would go to whoever was handling the case, and put any and all information he could into their hands. He had already been indirectly responsible for the death of Cedric. He vowed that he would not lose Hermione and Hannah as well.

---(End of the Chapter)---


	4. Confrontations

**Lions and Badgers – 3**

**Confrontations**

(Author's Note: How would the Order react to the investigations into a crime involving friends of Harry Potter? Finally, how would Harry help in rescuing his friends?

I have been making a few assumptions about the abilities of invisibility cloaks. In canon, they seem to be able to fool everyone, except the likes of Dumbledore and Voldemort. Consequently, I have assumed that there is no way for a wizard to break the invisibility by conventional means. It requires circumventing the invisibility through other disciplines in magic, not breaking it by force by a counter-spell.

By the way, the invisibility cloak Harry has is a general, run-of-the-mill invisibility cloak, and not the super-invisibility cloak that it turns out to be in Deathly Hallows. I am not going to even consider the idea of the existence of super-invisibility cloaks. End of story.

As usual, all criticism is welcome.)

---(Beginning of the Chapter)---

Harry considered the problem he faced. He could call on Sirius, and Dumbledore, but they probably knew about the matter and were working on it already. There was no use bothering them at the moment. The first problem Harry faced was finding out who in the Ministry was handling the two kidnapping cases. He had no idea where the Ministry office was, much less how to get there. He sat back for a moment and thought carefully. There were three ways of doing it. The first was to get in touch with the families of Hermione and Hannah. Hermione and Hannah had been kidnapped, so it was likely that whoever was in charge of the investigations would have left a way to contact them with the Grangers and the Abbotts. If he could find a way to contact the Grangers, he would be able to contact the person/s responsible in the Ministry. Both were muggle families, so he was reasonably certain that he could find them listed in a telephone directory. The second way to reach the investigating officer was to ask Mr. Weasley to help. Since Arthur Weasley worked at the Ministry, he could probably put Harry in touch with the concerned authorities. But Harry shook his head – his involving Hannah and Hermione had already caused them to be hurt. He would not involve the Weasleys and risk them as well. The final – and the potentially most rewarding technique – was to get to the Ministry via the Knight Bus. He was reasonably sure that the Knight Bus would be able to take him to the Ministry.

Even as he was pondering the means by which he could get news of Hermione and Hannah, another horrifying thought occurred to him – if Hermione and Hannah had been targeted by Voldemort's followers, it was not likely they would spare Cho either. He needed to warn her to be careful – this was of the first importance, and took precedence over all other considerations. He opened his trunk, took out a piece of parchment, and scribbled a short message to Cho about the kidnapping and warning her to keep herself safe. The message he dispatched with Hedwig.

Harry swiftly decided on a course of action. He would grab the addresses of the Abbotts and the Grangers from the library and then go down to the Ministry in the Knight bus. With luck, he would be able to speak with the two families as well as the authorities in the Ministry. His resolution made, and the note to Cho dispatched, he dressed, grabbed his wand and invisibility cloak and scrambled downstairs. He did not feel like confronting the Dursleys before his task for the day, so he wrapped his cloak around himself and left the home. He had no more than crossed the gate of the Dursley home, when he heard a sharp voice, "Harry! Show yourself!"

Harry stopped dead in his tracks. How did anyone know where he was? He was turning around when he saw a tall figure dressed in tattered robes emerge out of what he had believed to be thin air. "Professor Lupin!", he gasped, as he removed his cloak. "How did you know I was here?"

It was indeed Remus Lupin, looking tired and worn, wearing patched, shabby robes, and he chose to ignore the question Harry had asked him, instead parrying with a question of his own, "What're you doing, sneaking off like that?"

"I was going down to the library", returned Harry uncertainly.

"Library? In summer?", questioned Remus sceptically.

"Yes, Professor. I needed to find some information, and the Dursleys would never let me if they knew."

Remus Lupin sighed – he had heard many tales that Harry and the Dursleys never got along well. "Harry, what's so urgent that you need to go to the library now?"

Harry, in his turn chose to ignore the question, and asked, "Prof. Lupin, have you seen the news about Hermione and Hannah?"

Lupin nodded, "Call me Remus, Harry. I'm no longer your professor. And yes, Dumbledore went down to meet both the families late last night. But there seems no clue at all what happened to them."

"What does Dumbledore think happened to them?"

"They were most likely kidnapped, Harry."

Harry rummaged in his memory for any evidences of Voldemort indulging in kidnapping muggle-borns. He could not remember any, so he asked, "But why, Pro – er – Remus? Why would Voldemort want to kidnap them?"

Remus looked thoughtful as he answered, "There may be several reasons for that. He might want them in some ritual – there are quite a few dark rituals that require muggle-borns. It may be just the Death Eaters going on raids – they did kidnap several people in the last war, and hold them to ransom. It was an effective way of financing his campaign. But, most likely, it is a means to lure you out into the open – he probably expects you to try and rescue them, so I would not be surprised if he sends you some clues to follow. But we wander off the point – what were you going to the library for?"

Harry gulped at the thought of becoming a prisoner of Voldemort once more, but he could not stay still doing nothing while his friends were being probably tortured by Voldemort or his lapdogs. However, he still needed to know about his friends; so, Harry ignored the question once more, and asked, "But you're looking for them, aren't you? What's being done to find them?"

"Harry, for the moment, there is precious little we can do – we don't know who's got them, much less where they are. Dumbledore has said he'll do all he can, so you should leave it to him. But answer my question – what are you going to the library for?"

There was no dodging the question now. He answered, "I was going to the library to find the addresses of the Grangers and the Abbotts. I wanted to speak to the person investigating the kidnappings."

Remus nodded grimly, as though it answered his question about why Harry would be sneaking off to the library so early in the morning. "Harry, that is not a good idea. You should stay here, where you're safe."

Harry knew that the older man meant well, and that it was for his safety, but the thought of hiding in safety while his friends were the 'guests' of Voldemort made him nearly retch. The thought would not even bear consideration. "Remus, I'm going to the library. Now."

"I'm afraid, Harry, that I cannot let you do it."

"Will you stop me by force?" Harry's voice was coldly neutral.

"Dumbledore asked me to make sure you stayed safe ...", began Remus, but Harry cut him off furiously. Not only was the old man putting him with these abominable muggles when he could have stayed with the Weasleys, but also putting spies around him and controlling his actions over summer. Harry's blood was on fire at the thought, as he answered "Tell Dumbledore that he has no authority over me during summer."

"Harry, this is for your own good", Lupin tried to interrupt angrily, but Harry overrode him, "It's not enough that he keeps me in this dump that he must send his spies to watch over me, is it?", he snarled. "Leave now, Professor Lupin." Harry's voice was cold and hard.

The spies bit had hit Lupin hard, probably because it was what he was doing at the moment – keeping tabs on Harry and reporting his actions to the old man. He had rationalised it to himself that he was doing it all for Harry's good, but the truth was the truth, no matter how unpalatable or disguised. He drew his wand and pointed it at Harry, "I'm sorry, Harry, but to leave this place is almost certainly death for you."

Harry had realised that he had no chance in a direct duel – be it physical or magical – with Lupin. He would have to make the older man back down. "So, you cast spells, Lupin, when you are sure that I can't fight back because of the underage restriction? How chivalrously brave of you!"

"Get back into the house, Harry. It is for your own good. I'll have no hesitation stunning you if need be." Lupin's voice was deadly earnest. Harry did some quick thinking. Remus had not known of his presence until he crossed the gate – probably there was some enchantment that warned the older man when he touched the cursed thing. Even so, the older man had commanded him to reveal himself. It was unlikely that Lupin had a spell that could break the invisibility of the cloak. Slowly, a plan began to form in his mind. He sighed and backed down. Giving Remus the impression of disgust and anger, Harry turned away from the werewolf and without a word began stalking back to the house.

For a moment, Lupin thought that he had won. He sighed and put away his wand, glad that he had not been forced to actually use spells to stop Harry. That was his mistake. The moment Remus put away his wand, Harry in a smooth and swift move, drew his invisibility cloak around him and disappeared once more. Remus whipped out his wand and called, "Harry! Stop it! Get back here!"

Harry took no notice of the werewolf's frantic calls. He coolly, but swiftly and silently walked back to the hedge on the side of the house that masked him from his former professor, took off his cloak and scaled it without difficulty. This was his moment of danger, when he could not be invisible from Lupin. Consequently he had chosen the place – from where he would be obscured from his jailor – with care and his luck held as he clambered to the other side and then wrapped the cloak again undetected. Calmly, but steadily, making sure that he was not visible and that he did not bump anyone, he began to walk away from Privet Drive.

Remus Lupin had been aghast when Harry disappeared. His first inclination was to cast a few stunners at the point where Harry had vanished. However, the more rational part of his mind rejected this reckless course of action. If he cast spells in this muggle house, the Ministry would know and they would want to know who cast the spells and why. He was quite sure that they would take quite unkindly to the prospect of a werewolf attacking a defenceless underage student without provocation and Remus had no intention of spending the next few months in Azkaban. He cursed, and then decided that discretion was the better part of valour. Harry had mentioned going to the local library – he would have to get someone to watch the libraries in the locality. Then, he considered Harry's options in travelling to the Ministry – the Knight Bus was almost the first and possibly the only option when it came to magical means of travel at Harry's disposal. He would have to watch for Harry there. But if Harry chose to travel by muggle means, Remus would be at a disadvantage. Then he would have to stop Harry by other means, and get him back to Privet Drive. The first thing was to inform Dumbledore of Harry's resolution to speak to the Grangers and the Abbotts.

Remus cursed and ran down the street towards Arabella Figg's home.

---(Scene Break)---

Harry stood two streets away, considering his options. He knew that his time in the open was limited. Even if Remus was incapable of tracking down Harry when the latter was invisible, Dumbledore was and the old man would find him and put him back with the Dursleys swiftly. The last time he had run away from Privet Drive – which was two years ago – he had had about two hours of freedom before Cornelius Fudge had found him. There was no reason to believe that he would have more than that this time around, and he would quickly need to do what he needed to do. The Knight Bus option was out of question now – he had used it previously, and it would be the first thing Remus Lupin would be watching for. He knew of no floo that he could use; so that was out of question as well. Therefore, going to the Ministry and trying to find the people investigating the crimes was going to be extremely hard – he would try it only as a last resort. Going to the library was also a bad idea for the moment – he had mentioned it to Remus Lupin, and Lupin or other friends of Dumbledore might be waiting for him there. He thought for a moment, and then smiled coldly to himself. If Mohammed could not go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed.

He took off his cloak, and ran down the street to a large book store. He walked inside and spoke to one of the attendants, "Excuse me, d'you stock telephone directories – Oxford and Dover, to be precise?"

The man nodded and led Harry down to a shelf, and swiftly Harry looked up the directory and found half a dozen people who could be the persons he wanted to speak to. He jotted down all the numbers and ran back to the Dursleys' home. The last place where Lupin would think of looking for Harry would be with the Dursleys.

That done, he saw that Aunt Petunia was the only one up yet. Neither Vernon, nor Dudley had put in an appearance yet. Good – that meant that he would just obtain her compliance – by hook or by crook, or get her out of the way. He spoke quietly to her, "Aunt Petunia, I need to use the telephone to make a few calls."

As he expected, he saw his aunt dumbfounded for a moment, before she gathered herself to launch into a rant about the extravagance and utter uselessness of Harry and his parents, but Harry had more pressing concerns than her opinions about himself or his parents, as he cut in, "Last night, Uncle Vernon was talking about getting someone to paint the doors. I'll do it instead if you let me use the telephone. You'll save more money that way."

"We could always get you to do it. It won't be necessary to let you use the telephone."

"I could always refuse to do it."

"You'll end up in the cupboard under the stairs if you refuse – with no supper for a week."

"I could write to my Godfather about how you're treating me."

"You dare! You stand there, with the clothes we put on your ungrateful back ..."

"Oh, please, Aunt Petunia. Here I was, thinking of doing some reasonable business with you, and you go all ballistic."

Petunia was fuming, when Harry spoke with indifference, "Look, Aunt Petunia, we can argue all week about this, and we'll be no better off. I offered you a good deal – take it or leave it."

Aunt Petunia seemed to consider the offer for along moment. It was true that they would save more money by accepting Harry's offer. She could sell the offer Harry made to her husband as her own idea, and this would always be for the good. She finally nodded, "Alright, but you get to use the telephone only for today. No getting your freakish friends to call you all the time."

Harry returned, "Today and tomorrow. I might need to make a few arrangements with my friends."

"What're you going to ..."

"Believe me, you don't want to know. If you know nothing, you can tell nothing and no harm can come out of it. Just let's get on with the deal."

Aunt Petunia sighed in resignation, nodded and signed towards the telephone. "Go ahead. But you had better keep your part of the bargain."

Harry nodded and began to dial the numbers.

---(End of the Chapter)---


End file.
